Photodynamic therapy as salvage treatment for recurrent head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancers often lead to disfiguration or functional impairments after treatment. Local recurrence occurs in around 60% of cases and most of them can not be retreated. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be an alternative treatment.In a serie of 10 patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that have failed prior therapies and are unsuitable for conventional curative therapy, PDT treatment has been used.Eight patients have shown complete cicatrisation. Seven patients were cured after the follow up period up to 53 months. Three patients died (one outside etiology). Quality of life was considered as very much for 6 out of 10 patients, quite a bit for 1 patient, a little for 2 patients and not at all for 1 patient. Clinical benefit was evaluated as very much for 6 patients out of 10, quite a bit for 2 patients, a little for 1 patient and not at all for 1 patient.PDT can be proposed to patients with head and neck cancer in palliative situation. It could be a therapeutic solution for selected cases with good outcomes. PDT offers patients a unique chance of remission and increased life expectancy compared with palliative treatments.